Starting with magical girls, I'll reign supreme for eternity.

Chapter 195 The Return of Si Mo Tu (8,000 words)

Ruoyun poked her head out of the water and gasped for breath.

After looking around and making sure he had shaken off the people from the old world, he immediately swam to the shore.

Caught off guard by the magical contamination of the grayish-white residue, she was almost captured.

Fortunately, Ruoyun's training during this period had already taught her how to plan various contingency plans.

Throw the trash bombs that have been touched to the alley entrance beforehand, and bury magic bombs in the trash heaps in the alley, then detonate them when the other party is not paying attention.

The second wand reads the card "Star Pattern Descent: The Invisible Chameleon's Invisible Descent," deceiving the members of the Old World and hiding in the sea.

This allowed her to escape successfully.

In the past, she would never have been able to do it alone.

After climbing ashore, Ruoyun rested for a while and took a deep breath.

The people of the old world were far more difficult to deal with than she had imagined.

There are even magical girls who can transform using residue.

Not only does it possess the power of a magical girl, but it can also use its residue to interfere with the magical equipment and powers of normal magical girls.

As the Holy Walker said, the version has indeed been updated.

The enemy's level is far beyond what the witches and monsters of the past could compare to.

Even with thorough preparation, she almost messed up.

We need to be more careful...

Just as I was thinking of contacting other people, I suddenly discovered that all the communicators were out of service.

Ruoyun raised her head and looked around.

Docks, high-rise buildings, structures, billboards.

All the scenes are reversed.

"Welcome to the Mirror Kingdom."

Clutching the seed of miracle tightly in her hand, Ruoyun suddenly turned around.

A white-haired, red-eyed girl was smiling at her.

"It's been a long time since we last parted ways."

"I don't remember us knowing each other."

“You stole a lot of things from our Mirror Kingdom from the remnants of the mind image.”

Ruoyun narrowed her eyes, "The prince of the Mirror Kingdom?"

"I'm glad you still remember me."

The prince stood up and walked over. "Although I previously wanted to annihilate your Holy Temple Demon Squad, I have now changed my mind."

"why?"

“Because I don’t think we are enemies.” The prince put away his arrogance. “We have no reason to be hostile. The Mirror Kingdom currently has no plans to attack this world. On the contrary, other old worlds are ambitious. You should have heard what those people said earlier. They want to harm this world.”

Ruoyun felt a chill; had the other party been monitoring both sides?

“So, I think we can cooperate.” The prince slightly raised his chin, his uncontrollable arrogance radiating out again. “The Sanctuary’s Demon Squad, since you can take on missions from others, you can naturally take on missions from me, right?”

Ruoyun tilted her head, "Why are you so confident?"

"Judging from your acquisition of the Mirror Kingdom's artifacts from the remnants of the Mind Image, and your recent inquiries about the Mirror Kingdom's technology in South China, the Holy Temple is very interested in our Mirror Kingdom's technology. Am I right?"

The prince sat on a worn-out white plastic chair at the dock, yet he looked as if he were sitting on a throne, exuding nobility.

"In exchange for the technology of my Mirror Kingdom, I hope you can do me a small favor. I believe you will not refuse."

"As expected of a ruler of a country, he can accurately see through our needs." Ruoyun put away the communicator. "I have heard the legends of the Mirror Kingdom, especially the prince of the Mirror Kingdom. He is extremely wealthy, generous, and always disdainful of his partners."

The prince's proud brows furrowed slightly.

"They always viciously throw money in the faces of their allies to humiliate them."

Ruoyun smiled slightly: "As royalty, I suppose the prince and princess would be happy to humiliate our Holy Temple in the same way? As a token of your sincerity."

The princess's proud brows relaxed: "It's obvious that the rumors you've heard are wrong. My Mirror Kingdom would never do something as rude as throwing money in the face of an ally. We have always shown the utmost respect to our excellent partners."

She shifted her legs, still wrapped in white stockings, to the other side, casually clapped her hands, and a bank card appeared out of thin air in front of Ruoyun.

"What's wrong with giving me a descendant of the bloodline that flowed out of the Mirror Kingdom?"

Ruoyun's expression remained unchanged: "I know your methods; the copied bank card won't work."

"There's 100,000 inside. We'll see how you perform first. The better you perform, the more money we'll give you."

I feel she's not as good as Teacher Bai Mei...

Ruoyun accepted the Galaxy Card with a slight sigh. "If you don't have money, why are you pretending to be a prince?"

This money wouldn't even be enough as a bonus for the Infinite Demon Slayer Squad. If Hyacinth saw this, she'd laugh at me, and if the Holy Walker saw this, he'd expel me from the Holy Hall overnight.

What do you want us to help you with?

"Participate in the South China Super Magical Girl Mid-Season Tournament - [Jedi Magic]".

"Ok?"

……

South China, Mingxin City, Witch Society's large factory.

It's a sweatshop operating underground, working 24/7.

It can also be considered one of the Witch Society's important assets in South China.

At this moment, Xilan was in the workshop, chained up and equipped with a special electric shock device for witches.

If she dared to stop what she was doing, the voltage of up to 200 would immediately energize her.

She had worked tirelessly for three days without sleep, and after repairing for four hours, she was pulled back onto the assembly line.

These desperate days caused Xilan to break down emotionally.

As she wiped away the small pearls, she sobbed softly, "You wait, you wait..."

"When Lord Si Mo Tu returns, when Lord Si Mo Tu returns! You're all doomed! Absolutely doomed!"

Since being sent by Lord Si Motu to find the witch's potion, west Lan has suffered a lot.

Ultimately, what everyone cares about is Si Mo Tu herself; they have absolutely no interest in her as a witch.

Even if it is said that Lord Si Motu has defeated the invincible Purple Demon of the North Sea and has already slaughtered his way across the North Sea, and will surely return, the Qingyun Sect is merely clinging to life.

But no one was really willing to extend credit to her just because of Si Motu's name.

She even went to great lengths to obtain information about the witch's potion.

Those complete witches who fawned over Lord Simotu near the remnants of the Heart Image were indeed nothing but a bunch of short-sighted opportunists!

When Lord Si Motu was nearby, they all wished they could stick to him and offer themselves to him.

Now that Lord Si Mo Tu is gone, he finds even talking to himself annoying.

One by one, they disobeyed the master's orders and disrupted his plans!
It's precisely because the Witch Association has so many scoundrels that things are going so badly! Not only have they been consistently outmaneuvered by the Disaster Management Bureau for so long, but even the newly emerged Qingyun Sect has managed to surpass the Witch Association!
These insects, utterly shameless, remained unmoved!
If it weren't for Lord Masaru, the Witches' Society would have lost all face at the Heart Remnant!

The Witch Society, one of the two major organizations, was overwhelmed by the Qingyun Sect and the Disaster Strategy Bureau when the Heart Remnant was opened.

I'm not ashamed to tell anyone!

It was only through Lord Si Motu's brilliant performance that the Witches' Society regained some face.

Ultimately, the confidence of the Witches' Guild's lower ranks stems from the power of Lord Si Mo Tu.

In reality, the higher-ups of the Witches' Guild only claimed that they possessed the technology and means to allow anyone to gain the power of Lord Simotu...

Even Xilan, who was already used to the witches' ways, couldn't help but be amazed by everyone's shamelessness.

Of course, Xilan was even more furious that the man had claimed the credit from Lord Simotu.

But there was nothing she could do, since she couldn't beat them.

In order to find the medicine for Lord Si Motu, west Lan even lowered her noble head and asked in a humble voice.

With the promise of Lord Si Mo Tu, someone finally told her where she could buy witch potions.

This is the factory area.

On the surface, it is a shoe factory that produces witch potions, but in reality, it is a secret factory used to produce various materials for the Witch Association.

Ever since Xilan learned that there were witch potions here, she has been spending all her time at the factory.

Initially, the idea was to use Lord Si Motu's name to get the factory to provide the potion for free.

After all, Lady Simotu is a legend of the Witch Guild, the light of witches!
Although it's a male title, it sounds a bit strange.

But whether you're male or female, if you make a name for yourself in the Witch's Guild, you'll be a shining example of the Witch!

The Witch's Light bears the mission of defeating the magical girl; the Witch's Light will set the world ablaze!

As a result, they actually refused to provide free potion assistance to Witch's Light!
Even if Xilan talked until her lips were sore, it was no use.

With the added security system here, Xilan's proudest ability to fuse matter means that obtaining witch potions through petty theft won't work.

With nowhere else to turn, Xilan bumped into His Highness the Prince.

At the time, she thought she had met an angel.

When Xilan was at her wit's end and unable to help Lord Simotu obtain the witch's potion, she fell into despair and self-blame. Just then, the prince made a dazzling appearance and told Xilan that she was Simotu's friend and that if she needed any help, she could just ask her.

Xilan was so moved she almost cried.

She can still remember every detail from that time.

The newly arrived prince asked with concern, "Do you want a witch's potion?"

west Lan replied, "Yes! But they're unwilling to give it to me!"

The prince then asked, "Didn't you mention Simotu?"

west Lan said angrily, "I told them, but I was only repeatedly insulted and treated like trash by the witch!"

The prince patted her head and sighed, "Good child, let me help you."

west Lan exclaimed in surprise, "Your Highness! How can this be?"

The prince simply held out his hand: "Give me your phone."

Then Xilan was shocked.

"Where did fifty million come from!"

"Modaidai is a large platform, and it even partners with city governments. New users get a 30% interest-free period..."

I thought it was an angel, but it turned out to be an angel loan!
But Xilan, who was already at a loss, had no choice but to excitedly tell Lord Simotu.

Praise the prince for being a good person.

With Lord Si Mo Tu around, how could we possibly lack money in the future?
Who would have thought that the loan would be chased for repayment the very next day!
Didn't they say it was interest-free at 30 minutes?
Nobody told me it was interest-free for 30 minutes!
Furthermore, since the money to purchase witch potions is through loans, the factory here also has a cooperative relationship with Magic Loan.

This prevented her from even taking a ton of witch potion with a loan. In fact, because she had no money to repay the loan, she was forced to work in a factory as a laborer to pay off her debts!
We've been set up.

The prince and the loan sharks were in cahoots; they disappeared after lending her the money, leaving her in this predicament!

However, if Xilan could send a ton of potion to Lord Simotu, she wouldn't mind.

The problem is that the medicine hasn't even been delivered yet, and he's already in this state, which is simply unbearable for Xilan!

What if Lord Si Motu thinks she has done a bad job and has become a traitor?
Thinking about this made Xilan feel extremely wronged and sad.

Whether I live or die is irrelevant; what matters is that I've delayed Lord Si Mo Tu's great cause of changing the world. That would be a truly wasted death!

At the very least, let me complete Lord Si Mo Tu's mission first...

The thought of Lord Si Motu's disappointed and indifferent attitude in the future made west Lan cry even more bitterly.

"If you cry again and your horse urine affects the potion's effectiveness, you'll see what I do to you!"

The witch who was overseeing the situation gave her a fierce warning.

west Lan, who was still feeling sad about not being able to serve Lord Si Mo Tu, immediately glared back fiercely at her upon hearing this, like a hysterical mad dog, "Come on, deal with me! If you have the guts, then kill me!"

A complete witch Yunke.

This is the main reason why Xilan couldn't steal the witch's potion from the factory or escape.

It possesses the ability to completely restrain Xilan.

Because this entire factory was actually a creation of Yun Ke's filthy magic.

Her magic permeated every part of the building, and Yun Ke's magic was also very special. Once inside the building, it was completely undetectable, and even magical girls could not find her here.

Therefore, Xilan has no way to merge in any corner of this factory, and even if she does merge, she will be quickly detected by Yunke.

Then, since the factory itself belongs to Yun Ke, west Lan, who is integrated into any object in the factory, is also completely under her control.

Natural enemy, pure and simple natural enemy.

It's not that I, Xilan, am incompetent; it's just that the opposing team targeted me too deliberately! You know that?

Yun Ke's abilities are also the reason why she is so successful in the Witch Society. After all, the people of the Disaster Prevention Bureau in South China are known for their fierceness and their attitude towards the Witch Society is particularly strict.

Once discovered, they will surely be wiped out by the magical girls of the South China Disaster Management Bureau.

If the Witches' Guild wants to expand in South China, they need someone like Yun Ke who can both conceal factories and ensure that magical girls can detect them in advance.

It was only with Yun Ke's abilities that the Witch Society was able to gain a foothold in South China.

The money she earned and her status within the Witch's Guild were naturally far beyond what Xilan could compare to.

But who is west Lan? She is the number one general under Si Mo Tu!

For the glory of Lord Si Mo Tu, how could we possibly bow down to such ants!
"Yun Ke, if you have the guts, kill me! I, west Lan, will gouge out one of your eyes and make you kneel down and call me your grandma!"

While being electrocuted, Xilan was having an epileptic seizure and was shouting.

Even as they started drooling and their eyes glazed over, they showed no sign of backing down.

"To defeat you parasites of the Witch Society!"

"He will come back! He will come back!"

The roars and shouts were deafening and never-ending!
"Long live Lord Si Mo Tu!" The workers around him all looked at him like he was an idiot.

Xilan was the most mischievous person in the entire factory, so she had the most restrictions.

In reality, other workers don't face as many restrictions.

Everyone's just trying to make a living. It's tiring here, but the pay is real, so nobody wants to cause trouble.

Xilan acts like a masochist every day. I don't know if she's addicted to being shocked. She won't behave unless she makes a fuss and gets shocked a couple of times every day.

Yun Ke didn't seem inclined to engage in much conversation.

The two witches from Xilan are like the Crouching Dragon and the Phoenix Chick; at least they know what it means to be a wise man when he sees the right opportunity.

Xilan is stubborn; she won't turn back until she hits a brick wall.

If you don't take action, you'll never be able to make Xilan behave.

Yun Ke had no interest in Si Mo Tu, the legend of the Witch's Guild.

She, who is involved in manufacturing, naturally dislikes those who have a reputation but no real wealth or resources.

He has no money at all, yet he still needs Xilan to get him money. Isn't he just a complete gigolo?

I don't know how I managed to be so infatuated with Xilan...

A whip lashed out at Xilan; it wasn't hard, but it definitely hurt. Yun Ke mocked:

"You call yourself a witch? It's shameful! Xilan, whatever he is, that stinking man from the Witch Association only cares about your money, you know? You're nothing but a tool for him to make money!"

"You know nothing! Lord Si Mo Tu is not like those trash! Lord Si Mo Tu is different! He protects the justice and peace of the witches!"

"Men have two heads, the top one thinks about money, and the bottom one thinks about sex. Do you think I don't know that? You're too naive, Xilan. You've been cheated out of your body and your money. What use are you now? If no one had saved you by now, they would have thrown you away long ago!"

"How dare you insult Lord Si Motu! I'll fight you to the death!"

Yun Ke raised her whip, ready to lash out at west Lan, who was still causing a ruckus.

This is ridiculous. This thing is doomed. It doesn't work properly and all it does is cause trouble.

Selling it to other parts of the old world might fetch a good price...

Lost in thought, he simply couldn't bring himself to strike with the whip.

Looking back, she saw a boy wearing a fox mask gently tapping her wrist with one finger.

Yunke felt her wrist break.

The once noisy factory, the workers who were watching the show, and even Xilan, who was still grimacing, all suddenly fell silent.

All that remained was the creaking and groaning of the machines in the workshop.

Then Yunke quickly jumped back to try and create some distance.

Before he could even jump up, his hair was grabbed.

He was slammed hard onto the ground!
Bang!
Suddenly, a roaring sound reached my ears.

The entire factory emitted a somewhat dull sound.

Yun Ke's forehead slammed into the ground, and half of her skull even showed signs of cracking, with dark, filthy magic flowing out continuously.

She was somewhat bewildered.

They didn't even know what had happened.

It was impossible to see the other person's movements clearly, and she even transformed in an instant.

The witch's transformation is more convenient than the magical girl's; as long as she has the Seed of Lamentation in her hand, she can actually transform with just a thought.

Although it lacks the invincible frames of magical girls, the transformation process is still mandatory and is rarely interrupted.

In South China, where there was a constant risk of being wiped out by the Disaster Management Bureau, she always carried the Seed of Sorrow with her.

The moment he sensed the unusual movement, he immediately activated his transformation.

Before she could even put on her magical armor, the other party grabbed her head and slammed it hard into the ground!

If the entire factory hadn't been enveloped in her magic, this blow would have nearly smashed her head to pieces!

Most importantly, the witch's magical armor shattered instantly upon being struck!

Using brute force to stop the witch from transforming...

Shocked, Yun Ke quickly recovered and pressed the red button on her wrist. "Attack! Level One Alert!"

As a sharp alarm sounded, countless gun barrels emerged from the walls.

Large numbers of combatants surged in from all directions, carrying modern firearms tainted with corrupted magic.

However, the boy simply turned his head and stomped hard on the spot where the person had come from!
Huge cracks spread wildly from his feet, and the walls and ceiling above also cracked rapidly.

All the gun barrels collapsed directly from the cracks!

Before the armed members of the Witches' Guild could even get close, they were instantly buried under the rubble and debris!

The remaining people immediately stopped in their tracks. When the masked boy turned his head to look, they all quickly threw away their weapons and raised their hands!

Just kidding, who would risk their life against such a monster!

One stomp and the whole factory will collapse!

How could this be human!
Not to mention the ordinary combat personnel, even Yun Ke herself was stunned, and even gave up struggling and obediently lay on the ground.

Everyone held their breath, no one dared to speak, they just stared at the suddenly appearing boy with fear and shock.

The only sound in the entire factory was the constant, piercing alarm.

"Xilan."

Then, the masked boy asked calmly, his voice drowning out the alarms that filled the factory, "Should we spare her life?"

After being stunned for a long time, Xilan burst into tears.

It's wonderful to be able to serve Lord Si Mo Tu!
She, Xilan, is truly the luckiest and happiest witch in the witch community!

"Lord Sima Tu!"

After Xilan shouted excitedly and admiringly, the chains and stun gun on her body naturally came off.

He immediately ran up and hugged his boss.

"Xilan really misses you, Lord Simotu!"

Yun Ke and the others were all startled.

Si Mo Tu.

A legend who can fight the Blooming Magical Girl head-on without being at a disadvantage!
They just barged in without a sound, and the entire factory's security didn't even react!

If before I thought it was just a rumor or bragging, now I no longer dare to doubt the authenticity of this legend.

No wonder Vice President Jialan attaches such importance to it...

"Lord Simotu, how did you find this place? I thought I would never see you again..."

“I heard it from the twins.”

west Lan, who had been feeling touched, paused upon hearing the twins' names, then seemed a little awkward. "Hmph, twins... never mind, as long as it can help Lord Si Mo Tu, I don't care!"

"so."

Si Motu pressed his hand against the head again, and Yun Ke's face sank further into the ground. "Should we kill her?"

After Xi Lan viciously stomped on Yun Ke's foot, she took a deep breath and her expression returned to normal. "No, Lord Si Mo Tu, we can't kill her. If we kill her, we won't be able to get the witch's potion."

Yun Ke, who had been waiting to die, was also taken aback, not expecting west Lan to speak to her.

Then Si Mo Tu actually listened to west Lan and let go, allowing Yun Ke to stand up.

Covering her half-damaged face, Yun Ke quickly recovered after transforming. She glanced at Si Mo Tu, then at west Lan.

I never expected that Xilan would be so important in the eyes of this Si Motu.

Not only did he come in person to save her, but he also hurt Xilan himself to avenge her.

When Xilan turned around and said she would let go, she was willing to let herself go.

Why?
Why does this useless witch Xilan deserve such attention from Si Motu?

Because of love?
Heading in both directions...

"You'd better behave yourself." Xilan mimicked her boss's style, warning her, "We need witch potions, all the witch potions in this factory! If you can't produce them, you're all dead!"

“We’re only processing a portion.” Yun Ke took a deep breath. Although Si Mo Tu in front of her was enough to kill her, she showed no fear whatsoever. In South China, which witch didn’t risk her life?

Having long been accustomed to the threat of death, she calmly replied, "The finished products aren't here with us. They're all at the Witch's Guild headquarters. Xilan, you're a witch too, you should know that they've always controlled all the resources..."

"What about the one ton of witch's potion we agreed on?"

“They’re all at headquarters. Witch Loans is located at headquarters. They don’t believe in your ability to repay the debt, and they never intended to ship the goods from the beginning.” Yun Ke raised her head. “Unless you give me 50 million first.”

"I don't care." west Lan sneered, standing in front of Yun Ke, finally becoming arrogant. "My Lord Simo Tu needs witch potions. If you can't bring back a ton of potions, you will all die!"

"I told you I couldn't get it."

"No matter what method you use, whether you sell yourself, beg and plead, or kneel before someone, you have to get it!"

"hehe."

Unexpectedly, Yun Ke also laughed, "We are indeed no match for Si Mo Tu, and I know you would kill me as easily as killing a chicken, but as a witch, I also have the dignity of a witch! You can kill me, but don't even think about insulting me! I, Yun Ke, have never been a witch who is afraid of death!"

Seeing Yun Ke becoming increasingly agitated, west Lan inwardly cried out in alarm, realizing she had met a tough opponent!

Just as they were thinking of other solutions, Lord Si Motu, who had been listening quietly to them, suddenly pulled something out of his robes.

It was slapped onto Yun Ke's face.

The proud witch was about to roar, but when the beautiful black and gold color was reflected in her pupils, her tough and arrogant expression gradually melted away.

His initial cold laugh gradually turned into a somewhat warm smile. "Lord Si Mo Tu, what does this mean?"

"Black Gold Card, 50 million."

That deep and magnetic voice instantly pierced Yun Ke's heart.

She finally understood why Xilan was so infatuated with her.

This man is no ordinary person.

Even the voice is so captivating...

It's a charm that radiates naturally from within, even more captivating than his actual abilities.

She, who is involved in real business, is drawn to well-known figures who possess wealth and valuable resources.

Yun Ke, who never looks at appearances and only values ​​inner beauty, almost fell for him, but luckily she had enough self-control.

He immediately snapped out of his daze, holding the black gold card in his hands: "Lord Si Motu, you should have said so earlier! With a black gold card, getting back a ton of witch potion is a piece of cake. You can trust me to do things. If anyone dares to shortchange you by even a milligram, I'll skin them alive!"

However, the young man did not stop. He took out two more black gold cards from his pocket and threw them into her hand.

"Do you still need someone to warm your bed?" Yun Ke said earnestly. "I can be loyal, and I can serve you."

"Go away, it's not your turn!"

Yun Ke didn't care at all about west Lan's vicious expulsion.

Ha, trying to eat it all by yourself? No way!
"These two cards," Si Motu said in a low voice, "I need you to get me the recipe for the witch's potion."

Yun Ke was horrified. "This is an act of betrayal against the Witch's Guild!"

Then he immediately added, "It costs more money."

It was just a casual remark, since two cards were enough.

Unexpectedly, the young man casually pulled out a black gold card and tossed it over.

Yun Ke nodded. "The Witch Society actually refused to provide Lord Si Mo Tu with the method for making the Witch Potion."

"This is an act of betrayal! I, Yun Ke, will definitely set things right for Lord Si Mo Tu!"

west Lan stood to the side, biting her handkerchief, looking unwilling to give up.

They've only just met, so why does she enjoy Lord Si Motu's trust so much?
"besides."

After Si Motu spoke, west Lan and Yun Ke immediately quieted down and listened attentively to what Si Motu had to say.

"I plan to strive for the position of vice president, and focus on the factory to gather more members of the Witch Guild who are willing to be loyal to me."

Yun Ke's expression was solemn, and she remained silent.

west Lan was immediately overjoyed, "Yes! Lord Simo Tu, I told you long ago that Jia Lan should have yielded voluntarily. She didn't want to save face herself, so we had to help her save face!"

Jiang Si smiled faintly and said nothing.

Once you get the position of vice president, you'll be eligible to go to headquarters.

It's more convenient to get the Witch's Guild's resources directly from headquarters.

Looking at Yun Ke, Yun Ke immediately turned her head to look at the workers and the witch's fighting members.

"Did you all hear that? Lord Simotu is going to become the vice president."

"This is betrayal, isn't it?" one of the middle-aged men said with extreme unease. "We're doomed..."

"Don't you even have this much awareness?"

Yun Ke's face hardened, and she slammed her hand on the machine beside her: "Failure is betrayal! Success is revolution!"

"The Witches' Guild needs a top-down transformation, and Lord Simotu has returned! Back to his most loyal Witches' Guild factory! Only under Lord Simotu's leadership can the Witches' Guild be made great again!"

With a passionate expression, Yun Ke looked at the hesitant workers and witches, took out her black card, and gently licked it.

Savoring the taste of money.

"I will not keep this honor to myself. Everyone's salary and meal allowance will be doubled!"

The people who were still hesitating suddenly became resolute.

Everyone stood up and bowed to Si Motu and Yun Ke.

"loyalty!"

(End of this chapter)